I love it when...

[onimity]

a bad encounter with a motorist turns out well.

So I was riding today, home from the grocery store amid a lot of construction. The left lane and bike lanes were blocked off for a block and so I took the (only open) lane. When the other lanes opened, I moved into the left lane for a block and a quarter before my left turn. Immediately after moving into the left lane I hear behind me a honk. I look back. Black Prius. Again, he honks. I wave, a nice friendly 'I must know you' wave. HONK! and I hear the guy yelling "BIKE LANE" so I moved into the turn lane and of course he was in the lane next to me.

Now for those of you thinking in that I held the poor guy up, I didn't. The red light we both stopped at was red the whole time. But interestingly enough, I found myself next to his rolled down window. I thought:

1) I could ignore him
2) I could indulge my catty side, justifiably
3) I could get be nice

I chose the latter, amazingly: "I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear what you said back there"
"I said, there's a BIKE LANE"
(with no sarcasm) "Yes, I know, but I need to turn left."
"Uh. oh. um, sorry."

Made my day!!!

Anne

[lph]

LOL!

I had a similar encounter a few months back. I was inside our residential area on a main "path" split in two, one raised half for pedestrians, one lower half for bikes and the occasional car. I swung up onto the pedestrian half, since I had to turn left again up a steep hill where there is no "bike half", and a woman walking her dog turned into Ped Police.

- "Hey! Bike path!"
- "Excuse me?"
- "You're supposed to be on the bike path!"
- "Yes, but I'm headed up thataway, you see."
- "Oh, right..."
- "Otherwise, I WOULD be there on the bike path."
- "Oh... right..."

[mimitabby]

excellent!

or when the lady that rudely honked at me from behind ends up waiting at a traffic light with me coming up beside her. After she honked (and i got over being startled) I waved at her like we were old friends.
SO when i pulled up next to her I waved and looked into her car expectantly.
She looked out the other window... i got a real laugh out of that one. Embarrassed her.. by being friendly.